Dry-cleaning apparatus



Jan. 1, 1929.

M; DE w. HlRsT DRY CLEANING APPARATUS F1166 Aprilzo, 1925 4 sheets-'sheet 1 WITNESSES ATTORNEYS f @MQW M. DE W. HIRST DRY CLEANING APPARATUS Jam.v -1 1929.

4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed April 20, 1925 INVENTOR gs zewizijfwz.

WKTNESSES Jan. 1, 1929. 1,697,76

M. DE w. HlRsT DRY CLEANING APPARATUS Filed April 2o, 1925 4 sheets-sheet 5 WITNESSES INVEN TOR ATTORNEYS Jan. 1, 1929.

M. DE w. HlRs-r DRY CLEANING APPARATUS 4 sheets-sheet 4 Filed April 20, 1925 l WITNESSES ATTORNEYS dan. l, 1929.

iterate clerics.

MAUR/ECE DE WITT HIRST, F PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANA, ASSIGNOR T0 THE SAFETY DRY CLEANING SYSTEM C0.,A OF FHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, A COR- lORATION 0F NEW EERSEY.

DRY-GLEANING APPARATUS.

Application mea April 2o, 1925. seriai no. 24,610.

rThis invention relates to dry cleaning apparatus, an object of the invention being to provide an apparatus of the character stated which will reduce to aminimum the loss of cleansing fluid, permitting the latter to be used over and over again with elficlent results.

. My improved apparatus is partlcularly designed to use a cleaning fluid which 1s non combustible and non-explosive, and which 1s more expensive than gasoline, so that 1t 1s of vital importance to prevent loss of the fluid, and my apparatus is particularly deslgned with this end Ain view.

A further object is to provide an appara. tus of the character stated which so thoroughly cleanses the articles and removes therefrom all fluid and vapor'. as to dispense alto-- gether with the ordinary extractor commonly employed in gasoline machines which is used in an attempt to remove the smell of gasoline from the clothing but, as is well known, this is very much of a failure in accomplishing this result.

A further object is to provide an apparatus of this character which not only thorou hly cleans the articles and eliminates odors om the articles when removed, but also results in a saving of time and labor and hence cost of operation.

The primary object, therefore, of the invention is to improve, simplify and. reduce the cost and danger incident to the employment of apparatus heretofore known.

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists in certain novel features of construction and combinations and arrangements of parts which will be more fully hereinafter described and pointed out in the claim.

. In theaccompanying drawings- Figure 1 is a view in elevation, more or lless diagrammatic, of my complete cleaning apparatus;

Figure 2 is a view in elevation, partly in section,l0f my improved washer;

Figure 3 is a view in end elevation of Figure 2; Y

Figure 4 is an enlarged fragmentary view 5o intop plan of one end of the washer, showing its driving and controlling means;

Fi re 5 is a view in longitudinal-section i through the clutch shaft;

.above referred to constitutes the outlet Figure 6 is a fragmentary detail view, illustrating the means for operating the clutch.

Referring more particularly to Figure 1, 1 represents my improved washer, 2 a clean fluid supply tank located at an elevation above the washerso as to feed by gravity thereto through/ a pipe 3 having a valve 4 therein. 5 represents a condenser,/6 a dirty iiuid tank, a clarifier, and 8 a still.' 9 repreJ sents a vacuum pump, 1Q a drain pot, 11 a Vfluid. pump and 12 a fluid pump, the location and operation of which will be described.

v A pipe 18 connects the bottom of tank 6 with the lower portion of still 8 and has a valve 14 therein. A pipe 15 connects the top of still' 8 with the condenser 5 and has a three-way valve 16 therein, the chamber or 70 casing of said valve connected by a pipe 17 with the outlet of the vacuum pump 9.

The drain pot 10 communicates directly with the bottom of Washer 1, and a pipe 18 connects the lower portion of drain pot 10 with fluid pump 11. An outlet pipe 19 from iuid pump 11 is connected to the top of tank 6 and has a valve 20 therein. A branch pipe 2-1 connects pipe 19 with the top of tank 2 and has a valve 21 therein.

The vacuum pump 9 above referred to has a pipe 22 connecting the same with the upper portion of the washer and constituting the inlet of the vacuum pump, while the pipe 17 pipe from the vacuum pump.

A pipe 23 connects the bottomof washer 1 with the pump 12 and has a valve 24 therein. This pump v12 discharges through a pipe 25 into the bottom of clarifier 7, and the liquid from the clarifier flows through a sight de- Cil vice '26 and through a pipe 27 back to the washer 1. This pipe 27 has a valve 28 therein.

All of the valves above referred to may be controlled from a valve-controlled panel 29, located at any desired point relative tothe apparatus, as illust-rated diagrammatically in Figure 1.

Before describing the operation of the apparatus as a whole, I shall describe the construction of my improved washer 1 and the operating means therefor in order that an intelligent understanding of the working of the apparatus may be had.

In Figures 2 to 6, inclusive, I' illustrate in detail the construction of my improved jected through perforated lugs 34 on frame 32, and securely clamped by nuts 35.

36 represents a drive shaft to which motion is transmitted bv a drive pulley 37 fixed v thereon.. 38 and 39 represent idle* pulleys driven by belts (not shown) having beltshifting "forks 40 and 41 above the pulleys, theseforks operatin through mechanism to be hereinafter descri ed to shift either one of the belts onto the drive pulley 37, it being understood that at least one of the belts is a twisted belt and driven in a direction .opposite to the direction of its companion belt so that motion is transmitted to drive the shaft 36' in one direction for the desired number of revolutions and then in the opposite direction for the desired number of revolutions." The drive shaft 36v is supportedin suitable bear-v ings 42 on brackets 43, the latter removably connected to the respectivesupports 31 and 32.

Oneend of the casing 30 is closed by` a removable head 44, the latter secured by bolts 45 to an annular flange 46 on the casing. The other end of the casing may have a permanently attached head 47, and both of'these heads have bearings 48 for the trunnions 49 at the respective ends of a rotary drum or receptacle v50.

This drum or receptacley 50 is preferably of c lindrical form, is of smaller diameter than t e casing 30,'and is perforated so as to allow the luid to -flow freely therethrough. these trunnions 49 are rendered water and gastight by suitablestuffing boxes 51, and large gear Wheels 52 are secured on-the ends of the respective trunnions.

These vgear wheels 52 mesh ions are driveniby pinions 55 and 56, respectively, both of said pinions 55 and 56 being `fixed to the drive shaft 36 so that the` drum or receptacle 50 is positively driven from both ends, as clearly indicated. n

It is to be understood that the several gears and pinions at one end (the left-hand end of Figure 1) can be removed with the removal of the head 44 so as to allow the drum or receptacle 50 to be removed from casingV 30 from time totime as may be desired. i

ThebeltshiftingI forks 40 and 41 are carried4 by levers 57 and 58, respectively. These levers are pivotally mounted between their with idle pinions 53 and 54, respectively, and said idle pinv ends asshown at 59 and have their shonter ends connected to a link 60. The link 60 is connected to a pivoted arm 61 located at right angles to the link 60` and said ar'm has a stud 62 movable in a cam groove 63 in a cam 64.

The cam 64 ls secured to a Vertical shaft section 65 in line with a shaft section 66, the latter carrying a worm wheel 67 in mesh with a worm 68 en the drive shaft 36.

The shafts 65 and 66 are -connected. by clutch members 69 and 70. The clutch member 69 has a coil spring 71 normally pressing the clutch members together, and said member 69 also has a cam flange 72 which is adapted to be moved by a movable bar 73 so as to cause the clutch members to separate. 4

This bar 73 is connected to one end of a lever 74, the latter pivotally supported between its ends as shown at. 75. A manually movable rod 76 is connected with this lever 74 so that, by manually controlling the position of the bar 7 3, the clutch is caused to engage or disengage, the power of the machine being utilized to separate the clutch members due to` the cam action of the flange 72 on the bar 73, it being understood that this separation of the clutch always takes place while both belts are on' idle pulleys when the parts are inthe position shown in Figure 4.

Inorder to lock the mechanism against the possibility of power driven movement, I

provide on one end of the casing 30 a pivotedbracket 77supporting a shaft 78 carrying a worm 79. A spring-pressed catch member 80 'is mounted on the casing and is adapted to h old the bracket 77, either in the inoperative position shown in Figure 3, or in mesh with the gear wheel 52 as indicated in dotted line in Figure 3.

This catch 80 is manually moved to release the bracket and allow the latter to be swung to its normal inoperative position. A handwheel 81 is provided on the shaft 78 to permit a manual turning of the gear 52, and hence the turning of the drum 50 to manually move the drum to any desired position.

I make no specific claim to the worm 7 9 and vits cooperating parts as this form constitutes standard equipment in general use. I would call particular attention, however, to my improved closure for the inlet of the casing 30, illustrated more particularly in Figures 2 and 3 of the drawings.

The drum 50 must of course have some 'form of opening and door to admit the artilill) turn the drum first in in the other.

- This valve is then closed andthe washin by a pump 12 from the washer through the or other exible material, and the juncture of cleaned.

valve et is opened to allow the desired quanlvalves 24 and 28 are opened vso that during pump will draw from the clothing all saturation, either fluid o r gas, and-'will force the sameinto the condenser where the gas will be the parts may be rendered absolutely tight by the positioning of a gasket'or packing 85 in the frame 82, as shown in Figure 3.

A pressure block 86 is provided, carrying a series of 'spring tongues 87, said tongues engaging the cover plate 84, and said block 86 pump not only conserves all fluid -or gas but entirely relieves the clothing of any odor and also leavesthe clothes practically dry so engaged by screw plungers 88 carried bythat they arefready to be hung up for final yokes 89. These yokes 89 are pivotally connected to the vcasting 82 as shown at 9() and are of such size that they maybe swung longitudinally of the casing out of the Way/of the opening so as not to interfere with the removal and insertion of articles to be drying. v

' Assuming that the clarifier is not used, the

opened. From lthe tank 6 the liquid flows through pipe 12S-into still 8, valve 14 being opened, and from the still the cleansed gas lflows into the condenser 5 through pipe l5, 'valve 16 being properly positioned. From the condenser the liquid Hows througha short pipe 5l into the clean fluid tank 2. 4

It will therefore be noted that my improved The plungers 88 preferably have handwheels 91 thereon so lthat suitable pressure may be applied to the block 86 to cause the spring tongues 87 to engage the cover 84- Withthe desired resilient pressure to insure an absolutely tight closure under any and all conditions lVhen theplungers 88 are released the yokes 89 can be swung laterally and the cover can be removed, as will be understood.

' The operation of the Washer brieiiy stated is as follows: 'Ihe clothes or other articles are placed in the drum 50 and the casing tightly closed. The clutch members 69 and are ermitted to engage and motion is transmitted by the shaft 36 to alternately one direction and then 'system so that before the articles are removed from the washer the cleansing fluid is for all practical purposes entirely recovered, cleansed and ready for repeated use.

While I refer to my improved apparatus a breather coil or analogous device is necesunderstood that in using this term closed system I have in mind the provision of a breather coil or some such analogous device. Various slight changes and alterations might be made in the general form of the parts described without departing from the The operation of the apparatus as a whole is as follows: Assuming the articles to be washed are properly located in the drum 50,

tity of cleansing fluid to flow into Vthe washer. self at liberty to make such slight changes and alterations as fairly fall within the spirit and-scope of the appended claim. I claim:

operation started. If the clarifier is use the washing of the clothes, the fluid is moved washer, a clean fluid tank Iabove the washer, va dirty fluid tank above the clean fluid tank, a condenser, a still, an outlet pipe communi-A cating with the washer, branch pipes connecting said pipewith the lclean Huid tank clarifier and back to the washer. This may be a'continuous operation or an intermittent' operation but in any event the final operation of movement through the clarifier will not cease until the sight device 26 shows that the liquid o r iiuid is clear. l

Assuming that the clarifier is used and the operation completed, the pump 11-is started and valve 21 opened so that the liquid will drain into the pot 10, the latter catching buttons or other articles, Vand thence through the pipe 19 and branch pipe 21 into the clean Huid tank. This pump 11 is then stopped and the valve 2l closed. The valve 16 is then turnedso as to open communication be fluid tank.

tween the pipe 17 and condenser 5, and' the v- A vacuum pump 9 is started.. This vacuum MAURICE, DE WITT. HIRST.

mentioned plpe, a pipe connecting the clean iuid tank with the washer, -an outlet pipe connecting the dirty fluid tank with the still through which pipe the fluid is fed by gravity, a valve in said lastme'ntioned pipe, a lpipe connecting the still with the condenser,

-apparatus is in a very true sense a closed` sary somewhere in the system, and it is to be a valve in said last-mentioned pipe, anda pipe connecting the condenser with the clean condensed. 'This operation ofthe vacuum` dirty liquid is forced by the pump llinto the topof/ dirty iuid tank 6, the valve 20 being as a closedcircuit or system it is obvious that y invention, and hence I do not limit myself to the precise details set forth but consider my- A dry cleaning apparatus, including a and dirty `fluid tank,respectively, valves in v said branch pipes, a force pump in the frst- 

